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A47522 The glory of a true church, and its discipline display'd wherein a true gospel-church is described : together with the power of the keys, and who are to be let in, and who to be shut out / by Benjamin Keach. Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704. 1697 (1697) Wing K66; ESTC R19810 25,670 74

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THE GLORY OF A TRUE CHURCH And its Discipline display'd Wherein a true Gospel-Church is described Together with the Power of the Keys and who are to be let in and who to be shut out By BENJAMIN KEACH Mat. 18.18 Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven LONDON Printed in the Year 1697. To the Baptized Churches particularly to that under my Care My Brethren EVery House or Building consisteth both of Matter and Form And so doth the Church of Christ or House of the Living God The Matter or Materials with which it is built are Lively Stones ● e. Converted Persons Also the Matter and Form must be according to the Rule and Pattern shewed in ●he Mount I mean Christ's Institution and the Apostolical Churches Constitution and not after Mens Inventions Now some Men because the Ty●ical Church of the Jews was Na●ional and took in their Carnal Seed as such therefore the same Mat●er and Form they would have under the Gospel But tho a Church be rightly built in both these respects i.e. of fit Matter and right Form yet without a regular and orderly Discipline it will soon lose its Beauty and be polluted Many Reverend Divines of th● Congregational way have written most excellently it is true upon th●● Subject I mean on Church-Discipline but the Books are so voluminou● that the Poorer Sort can't purchas● them and many others have not Tim● or Learning enough to improve them to their Profit and our Brethren th● Baptists have not written as I ca● gather on this Subject by it self● Therefore I have been earnestly desired by our Members and also by on● of our Pastors to write a small and plain Tract concerning the Rules 〈◊〉 the Discipline of a Gospel-Church that all Men may not only know our Faith but see our Order in this cas● also True this tho plain is bi● short but may be it may provoke som● other Person to do it more fully Certainly ignorance of the rules of Discipline causes no small trouble and disorders in our Churches and if this may be a Prevention or prove profit able to any let God have the Glory and I have my End Who am Yours Aug. ●● 1697. Benj. Keach The Glory of a Gospel-Church and the true Orderly Discipline thereof explain'd Concerning a True and Orderly Gospel-Church BEfore there can be any Orderly Discipline among a Christian Assembly they must be orderly and regularly constituted into a Church-state according to the Institution of Christ in the Gospel 1. A Church of Christ according to the Gospel-Institution is a Congregation of Godly Christians who as a Stated-Assembly being first baptized upon the Profession of Faith do by mutual agreement and consent give themselves up to the Lord and one to another according to the Will of God and do ordinarily meet together in one Place for the Publick Service and Worship of God among whom the Word of God and Sacraments are duly administred according to Christ's Institution 2. The Beauty and Glory of which Congregation doth consist in their being all Converted Persons or lively Stones being by the Holy Spirit united to Jesus Christ the Precious Corner-Stone and only foundation of every Christian as well as of every particular Congregation and of the whole Catholick Church 3. That every Person before they are admitted Members in such a Church so constituted must declare to the Church or to such with the Pastor that they shall appoint what God hath done for their Souls or their Experiences of a Saving work of Grace upon their Hearts and also the Church should enquire after and take full satisfaction concerning their Holy Lives or Good Conversations And when admitted Members before the Church they must solemnly enter into a Covenant to walk in the Fellowship of that particular Congregation and submit themselves to the Care and Discipline thereof and to walk faithfully with God in all his Holy Ordinances and there to be fed and have Communion and worship God there when the Church meets if possible and give themselves up to the watch and charge of the Pastor and Ministry thereof the Pastor then also signifying in the name of the Church their acceptance of each Person and endeavour to take the care of them and to watch over them in the Lord the Members being first satisfied to receive them and to have Communion with them And so the Pastor to give them the right Hand of Fellowship of a Church or Church Organical A Church thus constituted ought forthwith to choose them a Pastor Elder or Elders and Deacons we reading of no other Officers or Offices abiding in the Church and what kind of Men they ought to be and how qualified is laid down by Paul to Timothy and to Titus Moreover they are to take special care that both Bishops Overseers or Elders as well as the Deacons have in some competent manner all those Qualifications and after in a Day of solemn Prayer and Fasting that they have elected them whether Pastor c. or Deacons and they accepting the Office must be ordained with Prayer and laying on of Hands of the Eldership being first prov'd and found meet and fit Persons for so Sacred an Office Therefore such are very disorderly Churches who have no Pastor or Pastors ordained they acting not according to the Rule of the Gospel having something wanting Of the work of a Pastor Bishop or Overseer 1. THe work of a Pastor is to preach the Word of Christ or to feed the Flock and to administer all the Ordinances of the Gospel which belong to his Sacred Office and to be faithful and laborious therein studying to shew himself approved unto God a Work-man that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth He is a Steward of the Mysteries of God therefore ought to be a Man of good Understanding and Experience being sound in the Faith and one that is acquainted with the Mysteries of the Gospel Because he is to feed the People with Knowledg and Vnderstanding He must be faithful and skilful to declare the Mind of God and diligent therein also to preach in season and out of season God having committed unto him the Ministry of Reconciliation a most choice and sacred Trust. What Interest hath God greater in the World which he hath committed unto Men than this Moreover he must make known the whole Counsel of God to the People 2. A Pastor is to visit his Flock to know their state and to watch over them to support the weak and to strengthen the feeble-minded and succour the tempted and to reprove them that are unruly 3. To pray for them at all times and with them also when sent for and desired and as Opportunity serves and to sympathize